The morning after our incredible day in Rottnest, we packed up and encountered our first significant mishap of the trip. I accidentally left one of the caravan support legs unfolded, and as we pulled away from the campsite, it bent beyond repair. Fortunately, this happened while we were still in Perth, allowing us to find a replacement at a caravan supply store on our way out of town. A quick swap, and we were back on track, heading north.

Our first stop was Lancelin, where we tried out some sandboarding. The expansive dune system there provided the perfect backdrop for our adventure. We rented sandboards—like snowboards without clips. We all took turns zooming down the dunes at quick speeds which was great fun. The climb back to the top was less fun, but we did it for an hour before resuming our journey.

Our destination was Sandy Cape, a large campground just outside of Jurien Bay, where we had reserved five nights 30 seconds from the beach. The area offered numerous attractions suitable for day trips. As we settled in, we discovered we were camped next to a family from Canberra we had met earlier in the trip. The kids were thrilled to have friends and spent the afternoon building an intricate sandcastle and attempting some fishing.

The next day was a relaxed one spent mostly on the beach. The neighbouring family’s tinny provided the kids with an opportunity to try fishing in deeper waters, though luck wasn’t on their side. Later, we enjoyed a delightful picnic in the dunes, overlooking the ocean, which was Lily’s idea.

The following morning, we bid farewell to our campsite neighbours and headed to a destination picked by Oliver: the remarkable Pinnacles Desert, which is one of Australia’s most unique and fascinating natural landscapes. Formed over millions of years, thousands of tall limestone spires rise eerily out of the yellow desert sands. It was definitely worth a visit. We then checked out the town of Jurien Bay and got some good tips for our remaining time from the local visitors centre.

One recommendation was Stockyard Gully Caves, which we visited the next morning. The drive was mostly straightforward, but the last few kilometres consisted of a narrow, sandy road fit for just one car. Despite not packing our Maxtrax recovery boards, we managed without incident. The caves were a series of limestone formations with one extending 300 meters, was worth the journey, and we navigated through with head torches in pitch black darkness. On our return, we visited Green Head, taking in beautiful sights like Point Louise and Window Rock.

During our stay, we crossed our first month on the road which was a milestone and the remainder of our time at Sandy Cape included fishing, swimming, stunning sunsets and more sandboarding using the kids’ boogie boards. We’d started waxing them after our lesson in Lancelin, which made a significant difference (this led to a competition to see who could slide the furthest)! On one particular windy afternoon the kids made their own “Caravan Hut” restaurant with a menu and everything!

After a restful five nights, we were ready to hit the road once again, heading towards our next adventure in Kalbarri!